Be A Visionary (December 06 2007)         - Dennis Harting

Successful organizations are led by people who are visionary. Do you have a vision of where your enterprise is going? Do you spend time working on your business or in your business? It is important to see what is gong on both inside and outside your organization.

Four Employee Behaviors That Can Kill Your Business (July 23 2007)         - claim this article

I found it important to clarify for employees what "deal-breaker" behavior was at my company. These are the things I insisted would not be tolerated and would lead to immediate or ultimate termination, depending on the nature of the infraction of these hard and fast rules. Here are the behaviors I would not tolerate:

Innovation Management and Brainstorming Management - why people hate to brainstorm! (July 23 2007)         - claim this article

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation can be defined as idea selection, development and commercialisation.

Managers Who Spend PR $$ Wisely (July 23 2007)         - claim this article

If you are a department, division or subsidiary manager, your budget is a precious possession whether you work for a business, a non-profit or an association. So why stand by while your public relations team spends too much time and treasure on tactics like press releases, column mentions and brochures? Especially when you could be using an aggressive PR blueprint to persuade your most important outside audiences to your way of thinking, then move them to take actions that lead to your success?

Interviewing: How to Stay Out of legal Hot Water (July 23 2007)         - claim this article

Some interviewers ask great questions; others ask dumb questions; and, worst of all, some ask questions that can get them into legal hot water.

Innovation Management - Flexibility (July 23 2007)         - claim this article

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation can be defined as idea selection, development and commercialisation.

How to do SWOT Analysis for your Business (July 23 2007)         - claim this article

SWOT analysis is needed for all business to understand how to improve their business.

To have best SWOT Analysis we use below method

Motivating For Higher Performance (July 23 2007)         - claim this article

Employee motivation is probably the most important single manageable factor for success and profitability of all the facets of specialty store retailing. It is too vital to be handled on a hit or miss basis, depending on the whim or spirit that stirs the store owner or manager from time to time.

How to Get the Best from Outsourcing (July 23 2007)         - claim this article

There's a great little article ('Business Lifeforms') on the back pages of the UK's leading management magazine, Management Today each month. It's a spoof (at least I think it is!) about some fictitious key player in a fictitious organisation. For January, it's about Ken, who's a 'Facilities Manager'.Now Ken has seen it all and truly worked his way up from the bottom to the top. Until, that is, a couple of years ago when new MBA-armed suits took over and decide to slash Ken's department (until now, running very, very smoothly under Ken's watchful eye) and Ken himself. Of course it all goes pear-shaped and the top dog has to come grovelling back to Ken, offer him loads of money and a big car, basically to ensure that the toilets aren't 'backing up' any more!This is in direct contrast to Michael Gerber, in his fascinating book The E-Myth Revisited. There he talks about working 'on' the business and 'in' the business, making it clear that if you do too much of the grindstone not-my-expertise stuff yourself, you lose track of what you are really good at, and what you went into business for.In a past life, I too experienced challenging outsourcing. At one time I had a great little local cleaner who I trusted (he even opened the store up for me - hmmm, that was a long time ago!). He did an excellent job and was on hand for emergencies. Then a new senior director decided to consolidate and outsource, for 'economy and consistency'. It was cheap - but the service was awful. Each time I got a new 'centrally sourced' cleaning company, they came with great intentions for the first 3 months and then dribbled off (with our money!) until it became unsustainable and another 'excellent contractor' came along.The moment of truth for me, was when the director for one of these contractors, came along for the first time in a brand new £60K Merc (and it's a few years ago now). Then I knew where my money would be going. I went through 6 contractors in 5 years, even though my hands were tied by 'Head Office' contracts!To solve this problem? There needs to be strong leadership at the start. Very clear standards required from outside contractors and severe penalties (yes, stop paying them even!) for under achievement. Corporate central contracts agreed there, but implemented and managed locally, leave a lot of space for waste.And yes, in a small business, don't even think of doing the bookkeeping yourself as soon as you can afford not to - do what you do best, value it and get on with creating the business you love, not like struggling Sarah in the book. But, get someone who you trust and who will deliver. Chris Barrow, of Million Dollar Coaching Practice fame, suggests that the very first thing anyone going into a consulting business should do, is get a PA. And that modern day evolution, a VA (virtual assistant) has made this a real, low cost possibility for many.Moral of the story?If you are going to outsource, especially if your business is big enough, where it's not only the fashion, but it can have economic and logistic value, take the following steps:-

• Find the best on the market, not the cheapest.
• Set the standards yourself, and don't take theirs.
• Be very clear on expectations and outcomes if standards aren't met.
• Keep in very business-like, however much you like/know/are related to them.
• Have clear timescales for regular review.
• Have a named and senior contact in the organisation for whom there will be pain if they lose the contract.
• Keep contract length manageable.
• If things start going wrong tackle them early, before too much money is wasted.
• If 'Head Office' agrees the contract, don't chase your own tail over non-delivery - get someone from there down as soon as there is a problem - you have enough to do.
• Don't get involved in the problems any local operatives might have - refer them back.

Martin Haworth is a Business and Management Coach. He works worldwide, mainly by phone, with small business owners, managers and corporate leaders. He has hundreds of hints, tips and ideas at his website, http://www.coaching-businesses-to-success.com. (Note to editors. Feel free to use this article, wherever you think it might be of value - it would be good if you could include a live link)...helping you, to help your people, to help your business grow...

Business Innovation - the Value of Work Processes (July 23 2007)         - claim this article

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation can be defined as idea selection, development and commercialisation.

Compensation and Six Sigma Black Belts (July 23 2007)         - claim this article

One of the more ambiguous elements of a Six Sigma project is the level and type of compensation the organization should give to its Six Sigma leaders and team members. On the one hand, setting compensation is not an integral part of any stage of a Six Sigma project; on the other hand, compensation is an important instrument to build loyalty and a sense of accomplishment that is a crucial element to the organization's Six Sigma success. While there are no hard and fast rules for compensation for Six Sigma leaders and team members, there are some good ways to think about how to productively provide compensation to your people.Black Belts are the key change agents for the Six Sigma process. They have an important role and should be compensated accordingly. If your organization is large enough to have people dedicated full-time to leading Six Sigma projects, their base pay should be in the top of your organization's range for their level of management. If your organization is asking a manager to also devote part of his or her time to leading a Six Sigma project, you need to find some way to compensate them for their extra efforts. In addition to base pay, you can find creative ways for recognition for completed projects. Black Belts should receive some special and public recognition for their efforts, whether it is dinners, award ceremonies, plaques, etc. Whatever fits best with your organizational culture. Such recognitions should not be strictly limited to Black Belts either, as acknowledging the achievements of all who participated in and benefit from the Six Sigma project should receive some sort of recognition to boost morale.Monetary bonuses are another way to compensate people for successful Six Sigma projects. Since Six Sigma projects are about helping the organization make more money it makes sense to share some of the cost savings from Six Sigma projects with the Six Sigma team. Develop a structured, team-based process improvement bonus system that will appropriately benefit each worker in the organization. As measurable and lasting improvements are made to processes, it is appropriate to share a part of the financial gains with employees. Just be sure there is a formal performance appraisal system that will identify what is to be accomplished, what success looks and feels like, and how an employee will be compensated, and that this is fully communicated to everyone. Such an organizational goal-sharing program will effectively support Six Sigma efforts. Being able to link compensation to Six Sigma implementation is much easier in a small company compared to a larger company. Bonuses can also be paid to Black Belts, but with differences due to their unique status. Instead of paying bonuses to Black Belts as a share of actual process improvement, pay them bonuses related to specific project goals. There is a danger in directly tying their bonus with a share of the actual improvements as they may be motivated to inflate or misconstrue actual gains. That still leaves you with many concrete project milestones that can be the basis for their compensation.

Nonprofit Performance: Outcome Measurement Can Be A Good Thing (July 23 2007)         - claim this article

Does the idea of program evaluation make your stomach churn? If so, you're not alone. Many nonprofit professionals and volunteers view program evaluation with fear. The idea of outcome measurement often takes these fears to new heights.

Poly Bags and Pallet Shrouds - Just Get it Right (July 23 2007)         - claim this article

For many companies, procuring the right packaging, such as Poly Bagscan be daunting. This is especially true of polythene bags.

Uncommon Common Sense - Know What is the Most Important Thing in Your Business (July 23 2007)         - claim this article

Over 3 of my meetings with 3 business owners last week, what really shocked me was how uncommon common sense was. 2 out of 3 I spoke to do not know what is the most important thing in their business. They keep on trying on other things that are not important. As we know, every business has ONE most important thing in their particular industry. You need to do well in your most important thing and the rest will take care of itself.

Turnaround or Terminate? How to Deal with Problem Employees (July 23 2007)         - claim this article

Do you struggle with a "problem" employee? If so, join thecrowd! Many of my coaching clients - businesses owners ormanagers - tear their hair out over one or more toxicemployees. In our business environment, we tend to recreatethe dynamics of the family we grew up, so no wonder problemsdevelop.

Five Overlooked Ways To Hire Winners (July 23 2007)         - claim this article

Here is a true story. My dentist did a "clinical" evaluation of my teeth. That is his fancy way to say he looked in my mouth and starred at my teeth with his own two eyes. He found no cavities in his "clinical" evaluation. I felt happy and relieved!

Taking Care of Middle Manager Bounce Off (July 23 2007)         - claim this article

How many times have the management consultants been 'in' and after leaving, have left little or no trace of their passing?

Outsourcing Problem Analysis (July 23 2007)         - claim this article

As an HR professional, you have responsibilities in several broad areas that have a significant impact on your company's bottom line, directly contributing to the corporate return on investment. The outsourcing choices you make are critical decision points that affect both your employer and the HR community at large. We recognize that you want and need to make informed choices, and we can help.

Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: The Responsibility for Job Security (July 23 2007)         - claim this article

This article relates to the Job Security competency, commonly evaluated in employee satisfaction surveys. This competency evaluates how your employees view their job security within your organization. In today's often volatile or contingent labor market, it's crucial to understand the level of security your employees feel about maintaining their jobs. Studies show that employees who do not feel secure in their jobs are less likely to be committed to best assisting customers. Evaluating this competency can be especially useful if your organization has suffered recent layoffs or firings.

Is Your Business Healthy? (July 23 2007)         - claim this article

Most business owners I work with want to grow their businesses. I guess this probably applies to most businesses in general. But growth for the sake of growth alone is not always healthy for a business or its people.